Every thought, every word, and every action leaves an imprint on our mind.

Sticking with uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.

The highest mantra is to be without deception. The highest medicine is to have few desires. The highest meditation is not to be attached.

The real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.

The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds.

Devotion is the head of meditation, as is often said. When you are inspired by some spiritual teacher, you can have a very strong connection with that person, and thereby the blessings can enter.

The goal of meditation is not to reach some highest place, but to remain in the place where you already are.

Enlightenment is not about becoming divine. Instead, it's about becoming more fully human.

Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

External phenomena are like a dream, whatever appears is not real. Recognize the nature of dream-like phenomena to be dream-like.

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

The Buddha taught us to leave alone the things that don't lead to awakening.

The practice is like peeling an onion. Layer after layer of delusion is removed through continuous mindfulness.

Compassion is a verb.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

The grass is greener where you water it.

The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal.

Freedom is not found in the absence of difficulty, but in our relationship to it.

Every intelligent individual wants to know what makes him tick, and yet is at once fascinated and frustrated by the fact that oneself is the most difficult of all things to know.

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

The whole path of mindfulness is about letting go. We let go of our attachment to our views, our attachment to our opinions, our attachment to our ideas.

The Dhamma unfolds in accordance with a definite sequence: faith, virtue, learning, generosity, wisdom, and insight.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

The goal of meditation is not to achieve a blank mind, but to gain insight into the nature of mind itself.

Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different.

Compassion is not mere sentiment but a powerful force that can transform both ourselves and others.

The more you suffer the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening of your character you read the more penetratingly into the secrets of life.

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

In the beginning, nothing comes, in the middle nothing stays, in the end nothing goes.

Through continuous mindfulness practice, the true nature of physical and mental phenomena becomes clear.

When you practice zazen you should not try to attain anything. You should just sit in the complete calmness of your mind and not rely on anything.